Seven Days

So…If you live in Minnesota, you may have heard about the Minnesota Paid Leave Program. If you ever need to apply for benefits, learn from my experience: submit your application within seven days of the start of your leave.

I applied about two weeks after my leave began, and that delay created a complicated situation. The doctors involved in my treatment would only certify my leave beginning on the date I entered their program, not the actual date my medical leave started. That discrepancy caused a major headache.

Recently, I had to go to court for an appeal involving my employer. According to the paperwork, my leave appeared to begin later than it actually did. As a result, the state determined that I received two weeks of Paid Leave benefits that I may not have been eligible for. Now I may have to repay those benefits.

Needless to say, it has been a stressful experience. At this point, I am waiting for the judge's ruling and hoping for the best.

If there is one piece of advice I can offer, it is this: apply for Minnesota Paid Leave within seven days of the start of your leave. Doing so could save you a great deal of stress, paperwork, and uncertainty.

More later…